1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cemented prosthetic implants. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for shrouding or protecting prosthetic implants from adhesive, and to a method for utilizing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Joint arthroplasty is a surgical procedure for replacing damaged components of a joint with prosthetic components. Such damage may be caused by, for example, traumatic injury or some form of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis. Joint arthroplasty may relieve pain and restore motion in the damaged joint.
The hip joint, in particular, is a ball-and-socket joint between the head of the femur (ball) and the acetabulum of the pelvis (socket). Therefore, arthroplasty of the hip joint can involve replacing the femoral head and/or the acetabulum with prosthetic implants. A prosthetic acetabulum can include a liner that receives and interacts with the prosthetic femoral head. This liner may be secured to an outer acetabular shell or directly to the pelvis. In some cases, the liner is secured in place using adhesive, such as bone cement.
The present invention involves the use of bone cement to secure a liner in place. As the liner is pushed against the acetabular shell or the pelvis, excess bone cement seeps out around the liner and onto exterior portions of the liner. To avoid disturbing the drying cement between the components, a surgeon may be forced to allow this excess bone cement to dry and harden onto exterior portions of the components, including a rim of the liner. Once the liner is secured in place, the hardened excess bone cement must be cleared away as much as possible from the rim of the liner using a standard surgical tool, such as a curette or a scraper. The step of clearing away the excess cement becomes especially important when the prosthetic implant requires attachment of an additional component, such as a guard, atop the rim of the liner.